OOOOOOOOOOOOH That left elevator!

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:44 am

Following the directions again, I riveted the trim re-inforcement plate to the elevator. OK, so far, then I realized I had to rivet the plate nuts onto the backing plate?!! Whoaaaaa! That was a bitch! Took me about three hours to get all those little boogers onto the plate. The hard part was backriveting and squeezing rivets without hitting the elevator skin or deforming anything. I don't think I have ever had to drill out so many bad sets.

Rivet the plate-nuts onto the reinforcement plate before installation.

Over and out.
Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 6:10 am

Ummm, I think I squozed those.

I am sure I musta... cause I didn't have a problem there.

The best part is yet to come!

Hang in there, Pete!

Don't let it throw ya!

CJ

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:26 pm

Don't feel bad Pete. I built the left elevator twice,--or was that three times!

It can be a frustrating one..
Hang in there!! you can do it!!

Dan

arffguy · Post by **arffguy** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:39 pm

Dan A wrote:I built the left elevator twice,--or was that three times!
Dan

Two or three? Is that one of those things so traumatic you try to block it from your mind?

I bet your left elevator looks better than the right one now. Ah, that learning curve. Sucks when it happens but makes for good stories later.

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:53 am

Jeez,
You guys know how to make a guy feel OK.

Hey John, did you mount the electric trim servo to the mounting plate before riveting the skin on the elevator ??
Thanks, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:02 am

If I understand the question correctly, the anwer is... I did them simultaneously.

I viewed the servo mounting job and the installation of the doubler plate/spar as 2 distinctly different jobs that were, coincedentally bolted together.

I worked on the elevator until I needed to think more and then switched to the servo... and vica-versa. It all just kinda came together for me.

Did that answer your question?

CJ

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:23 am

Capt John.

Well, I guess so. In other words, you just kinda muddled through then? LOL. I haven't found any specific instruction for this part of the process.

Thanks anyway, I got my trim tab pretty much finished tonight. I'm kindof circling around the servo thing but I'm getting zeroed in on it.

I gotta bend my elevator tabs next and I need to buy another big "G" clamp.
Did you use the same tapered blocks from bending the trim tab on the bending of the elevator tabs??

Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:33 am

"Muddled through it?" hahaha

Well, that is one way of putting it. I guess I can se now how Van's can be so vague in explaining this stuff, as I am having a hard time relating it to you.

Perhaps now, as you complete your left elevator, you will see what I mean.

I guess the difficulty in explaining the tasks, is being too detailed and rambling on versus not giving enough info. Besides sometimes you may just simply want to do it another way.

Given that, it is best to explain what NEEDS to be done, and not HOW to do it.

I guess, telling you HOW I did things is best and you can deem if it is right for you.

With regards to folding the edges of the elevator, I used the Vee Jigs, lined up the edge to be folded, filled the center of the VEE in with the cut out peice, trimmed it to fit, pinched it in tightly and tapped it with a rubber mallet.

I really impressed myself, it came out really well!

Hope this helps.

CJ

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:17 am

John,
WOW! I didn't even build any Vee Jigs, so I guess that way is out for me. I ended up doing it Van's way this afternoon. Wasn't too pretty though. Barely acceptable results. Then I screwed up the elevator trim tab hinge drilling. Turned out about 1/16th off after I got them drilled. Now I gotta get some new hinges. Actually, just one side will do. I tried alodining the hinges with all the other parts tonite. Turns out they are anodized?!?! Amazing that they are so soft and flexy but still anodized.

Thanks again John.
Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:12 pm

Yah, I notice you said the hinges were anodized. Mine aren't!

I feel ripped off!

Hang in there!

CJ

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:30 am

Captain John,
Well, they don't look anodized, but they are. They look silver but it really is anodize. I scrubbed mine in Alumiprep, soaked them in alodine, and the only part that turned brown was the ends where I had used the scotchbrite wheel on them. I found that aluminum to be really soft also.
Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:37 am

I see, yes...

I didn't recognize the anodizing as such probably due to the fact that it wasn't contrasting in color.

Giving it your acid bath was certainly proof enough that a durable coating did indeed exist.

That is good to know, as I primed mine and was mildly concerned about corrosion.

Looking at certificated spammers, this is the place which normally sees considerable corrosion. I am glad to have double protection here.

CJ

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:33 am

John,
I am rather amazed that something so soft and pliable could be used as a cowling holdfast. Supposedly, this hinge stuff is what is used to pin the two halves of the cowling together??
Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:45 am

Yes, I saw that on WS's -8 plans. I understand that you can also choose DZUS fasteners for securing the cowl like the spam canners do.

Are there any pro's or con's worth noting about either method?

I like the simplicity of the hinge. I know the DZUS pins become wiggly over time. There is one in the Cherokee 6 that looks like it is ready to come throught the windscreen! ...but it holds fine.

CJ

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:00 am

John,
I asked my experienced friend about this the other day and he said, "I'm still using the hinges and pins, they work fine and are clean and light, what else do you need?" End of story. There was his new "Nine" in front of us with hinge pinned cowlings. And a pure glass cockpit. (Three screens is all)

I'm like you, open minded and curious, and ready to learn.

Cheers, Pete